Zilia L Laje's Obituary
Zilia L. Laje was born in Vedado, to the west of La Habana, Cuba, on February 1st, 1936.
She lived in Manhattan in her teens. Subsequently, she returned to Havana, and eventually to Miami, where she studied Business Administration and worked in the corporate banking division of a national banking corporation.
A lifelong love of travel took her from Montevideo, Uruguay, in South America to Helsinki, Finland, in Northern Europe. At various times she also visited Spain, England, Scotland, Andorra, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, and the Bahamas.
She published three novels (La cortina de bagazo / The Sugar Cane Curtain; Cartas son cartas / Love Letters in the Sand, and El trinar del sinsonte / The Trill of the Mockingbird), two collections of short stories and essays (Divagaciones, and Mas Divagaciones), and a Cuban cookbook (100 Recetas de cocina tradicionales). She also had dozens of articles and short stories published in magazines and newspapers across the United States.
She was a member of the Círculo de Cultura Panamericano and the Women’s National Book Association and Writers and belonged to the now defunct International PEN Centre for Writers-in-Exile.
Her paternal grandmother's ancestors arrived in Cuba in the 1580's, and her family history on her maternal side can be traced back to Lugo, Galicia, Spain, in 1735.
She died in Miami, Florida, on October 27, 2024, and is survived by her son and granddaughter.
What’s your fondest memory of Zilia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Zilia?
Share a story where Zilia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Zilia you’ll never forget.
How did Zilia make you smile?
